For anyone who's sick of being overweight, getting fast weight loss results is more appealing than getting slow, steady results. However, take caution if you're using a weight loss method that purports to help you lose weight quickly, particularly if it doesn't require you to exercise regularly and eat a well-balanced diet.
Cause
Fast weight loss results aren't usually permanent because the human body can't normally burn fat at a rate of pounds per day. When you see a dramatic shift in your weight in the span of a week, it's usually because your body has lost lean tissue weight and water weight. Your body naturally loses some lean tissue when you lose weight. When you burn calories your body releases a carbohydrate called glycogen, leading you to start shedding water weight.
Risks
A primary concern with losing weight quickly is that it usually comes as a byproduct of unhealthy choices. For example, following a fad diet that requires you to eat mostly cabbage soup can lead to malnutrition, abdominal discomfort and gas, according to the American Heart Association. Another concern is that quick methods are difficult to keep up in the long term, meaning you'll just gain the weight back once you give up. Additionally, anyone who chooses a method that results in weight loss of more than 3 lbs. each week is at greater risk of health problems such as gallstones.
Healthy Alternative
For most people, healthiest and most sustainable rate of weight loss is about 1 to 2 lbs. each week. Because 1 lb. of fat is about 3,500 calories, that would mean you should burn or cut 500 to 1,000 calories every day. Start your healthy weight loss plan by tracking everything you eat and drink for one week and calculating an average of how many calories you eat each day. As long as your calorie-cutting goal doesn't require you to eat under 1,200 to 1,500 calories each day, find ways to avoid those extra calories. For example, stick to mostly fruits, veggies and whole grains and lower your intake of sugar and saturated fat. Also bear in mind that exercising will help you burn calories. Get at least 30 minutes of cardio per day, aiming for 45 to 60 minutes for greater weight loss.
Considerations
Your physician may recommend that you follow a supervised very-low calorie diet if you're dealing with pressing circumstances such as obesity and weight-related health complications. In this case, the potential benefits of quickly losing dramatic amounts of weight offset the potential risks. A very-low calorie diet is typically somewhere between 500 and 800 calories every day and your physician will prescribe a special diet or formula to minimize your risk of malnutrition. Never try to create and follow your own very-low-calorie diet.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Getting Past a Weight Loss Plateau
- Weight-control Information Network: Very Low-Calorie Diets
- Health Services at Columbia University: Best Exercise Equipment for Quick Weight Loss
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Common-Sense Strategies to Long-Term Weight Loss
- American Heart Association: Quick-Weight-Loss or Fad Diets
- Mayo Clinic: Fast Weight Loss: What's Wrong with It?
Member Comments